Three Reasons I Must Depend on the Spirit

Back in November, Joey Turner, our Pastor of Student Ministries, wrote a blog piece on what we mean by “Know, Go, Grow.” And we have previously published our “Portrait of a Maturing Disciple,” which fleshes out our “target,” a picture of what a growing Christ-follower looks like: what he knows, how she grows, how we go out in service to Christ and others.

Today we’re looking at the last item in the “Know” section: my dependence on the Spirit

Here’s how the “Portrait of a Maturing Disciple” describes it:

Because my heart still bends toward sin and I am not capable of obeying God in my own strength, I consciously and intentionally depend on the Holy Spirit to help me find my identity not in my obedience but in Christ.

And here I am reminded of Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day, where his would-be flame (played by Andie McDowell) rattles off the characteristics of the kind of man she’s attracted to. With each item on her ideal man list, Murray rolls his eyes in supreme self-assurance, rattling off his response to each item on her list: “Check… check… check…”

I find myself responding to the clauses in the statement:

“My heart still bends toward sin.” Check

“I am not capable of obeying God in my own strength.” Check

“I consciously and intentionally depend on the Holy Spirit…” No check here.

For some reason (probably my vanity), even though I am keenly aware that my heart still bends toward sin and even though I know that I am not capable of obeying God on my own, I am somehow slow to depend on the Spirit. I still cling to the illusion that I can depend on my own resources to manage my life.

Reason #1: I must depend on the Spirit for the crisis of the moment.

Dependence is such an inward quality, it is possible that two people could look the same on the outside and yet be starkly different in their inward orientation. Two men sit with their families in church every Sunday, listen intently to the sermon, engage with Scripture every day, financially support the ministry of the church, and love their wives and children wisely and well. And yet one is depending on the guidance and strength of the Spirit, while the other is depending on his own resources to control and maintain his behavior.

If you knew both men well enough, if you could hear them talk about their spiritual lives, you might be able to detect a calm assurance in the one and a frantic exhaustion in the other. But I’m convinced that there is a “tell,” a sure outward indicator of whether or not I am, as we have said it before, “letting the Spirit and the Word do the work.”

That “tell” shows up in a crisis, in the first instincts in the face of a difficult situation. Think of how Moses responded when things got dicey. Throughout the Pentateuch, whenever Moses faced a serious problem, he was on his face before God, asking for help.

Prayerlessness in a crisis is the sure outward indicator that I am not depending on the Spirit

When my inward orientation is dependence on the Spirit, I will quickly resort to prayer when I am in trouble. That will be my first instinct. But if prayer is a last resort, that tells me that I am depending on my own resources rather than looking to God for His help.

Reason #2: I must depend on the Spirit to manage the trajectory of my spiritual life.

If prayerlessness is the indicator of self-dependence in a crisis, what is the indicator of self-dependence in my spiritual formation? It is anxiety and despair.

My spiritual life doesn’t move forward smoothly in a straight line; it progresses in fits and starts. If I am depending on my own resources to bring about my sanctification, I will always be discouraged.

I still remember when Paul Rader, then president of Asbury College, spoke at the baccalaureate exercises at Dayton Christian High School. He was speaking to the graduating high school seniors (and their parents and loved ones looking on). As if peering into the future, he pointed toward the back of the auditorium and told us all, “If you could see, if you could just get a glimpse of the kind of person God is making out of you, you would say, ‘Oh! That’s just the kind of person I’ve always wanted to be!’”

That’s so gloriously true! “He who began a good work in you,” says Paul, “will carry it on to completion” (Phil 1:6). In my herky-jerky spiritual progress, I cling to that promise that God’s Spirit will complete what He started in my heart and life when I first trusted in Christ.

Reason #3: I must depend on the Spirit to manage the welfare of my loved ones.

There’s nothing quite like parenthood to drive a man to prayer! When my wife and I were raising our four children, we had many reasons to pray for them: for wisdom in teaching them, for their physical safety, for the kind of influence their friends would have on them… Every parent knows that list.

Little did we know then that our children reaching adulthood and independence would call for even deeper and more fervent prayer. The mistakes children make and the problems they face can be serious, but they are nothing compared to the mistakes and problems that come with adulthood. The stakes are so high for adults, the possibilities of catastrophe so numerous!

Depending on the Spirit means trusting Him to do His patient work not only in my own life but in the lives of the people I love: my children, my neighbors who are far from God, the people in our congregation who are struggling with discouragement and sin and anxiety.

So what does dependence on the Spirit look like?

When I am walking in dependence on the Spirit, I will quickly resort to prayer in a crisis.

When I am walking in dependence on the Spirit, I will have a settled assurance that notwithstanding my frequent stumbles, He is patiently shepherding me toward the kind of maturity I long for.

When I am walking in dependence on the Spirit, I will trust Him to do His patient work in the hearts of the people I care for.

I can count on that.

I can – and I must – depend on that.

Persevere,
Paul Pyle
Pastor of Discipleship